First Day of My Life

Gestures

Zev watched as Mickey stretched his neck out, sighing when he couldn't get enough relief then grimacing as he cracked it. He rubbed his shoulder a bit and massaged his lower back, "Old man, when do you think you will stop sleeping in a little bed with him?" He asked tapping his thumbs on the steering wheel as he waited for the traffic light to turn green.

"When we get a bigger bed," Mickey said simply, "Don't matter if I'm at his place or he's at mine, both got small ass beds. I used to have a bigger one until your bitch of a girlfriend stole it."

"Do not call her a bitch or I will be forced to kick your ass," Zev warned him, looking at him with those big, brown, crazy Israeli eyes. If Mickey wasn't aware how much the big idiot loved him, he may have been slightly nervous at the look he gave him.

Mickey shot him the finger and went back to his adjustments.

"Yevgeny misses you," Zev said, his tone growing more somber, serious.

"Fuck," Mickey closed his eyes and rubbed his eyebrows with his fingers, feeling guilty as hell. For the last two weeks he'd been staying with Ian, thus missing breakfast and most dinners with Yevgeny. He'd rush to Ian after work, make sure he was fucking eating something for dinner and then hurry to his house to do the bedtime routine with Yev before coming back to Ian. He was exhausted as hell. As much as it was a bitch to run back and forth, he knew it was necessary. Not being there for Ian wasn't an option. He didn't trust Ian's selfish ass siblings to care for him the way he needed to be cared for. Though it would've made sense logistically to have Ian stay at the Milkovich house, he knew it would have been too big of a change for Ian to undertake while he was low, "Ian's been doing a lot better. Hoping we can start moving his shit over tonight."

"If he's doing better why would you need to move his shit over?" Zev asked, giving Mickey a shit eating grin.

"Fuck off," Mickey uttered, unable to hide his own smile.

"You love this man," Zev stated matter-of-factly.

"That surprise you?" He scoffed, "Thought that shit was pretty obvious."

"I'm just," Zev paused to look for words to express his emotions, "I feel like my little babies are growing up, becoming men. It makes me emotional." He kept one hand on the steering wheel while putting the other on Mickey's knee companionably.

"Shit, you're so fucking weird, man," Mickey chided, rolling his eyes, "Ian's your baby now, huh? When'd that happen?"

"I am sensing some jealousy, Mikhailo. Did you think that you would always have me to yourself?" He questioned, narrowing his eyes, "Like I didn't have enough love for all of your people."

"You hated him two weeks ago," Mickey pointed out, taking the carton of cigarettes out of his back pocket and lighting one up.

"Not in the car," Zev groused, "Come on."

"You're talking too much," Mickey reasoned as if that explained why he needed the calming effects of nicotine, "Annoying the fuck outta me."

Zev sighed, "I never hated him. I do not hate."

Mickey let out a sarcastic hum, "Could've swore you said you hated him."

"Never said this," Zev denied quickly.
Mickey just rolled his eyes.

"I hated what he did to you. I still don't like it, but I didn't know him."

"You know him now? You two been hanging out? Goin to brunch or some shit?"

"Does he like brunch? You know I make the best Shakshuka. I should make him some soon," Zev said, tapping his chin as if he was making a mental note.